What do you sacrifice on optics...or not, for backpack hunting?

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Hi All,

What do you sacrifice or not when it comes to bringing optics on your backpack hunts?

Can you share what type of hunt those choices are for?

This year for CA deer and WY cow elk I ended up going ultra simple, leaving the small spotter/tripod at home using my trekking pole with my 10x42's. Had a great year, spotted a good number of elk 2-4 miles away and thankfully filled my tags. That said, I were a number of times I did want for more magnification with the binos, so am going to try 15x56's this year and bring along a light tripod, but still forgo the spotter.

Curious how many are leaving the spotter at home and for those that do, how many are still bringing a tripod?

Cheers and happy 2020 season!

Steve

 

[willfrye027]

For me it really depends on the type of terrain. This year I was hunting huge steep country, so I packed a ton of optics (Leica duovid 10-15x50 and kowa 602 20-60). I found that I really did need all that optical firepower, but I had to really cut pack weight in other areas. I did bring a smaller tripod than I would in front country.

Some of the spots I hunt are really more of still hunting in which case I just have some 8x32s. Just totally depends on where I’m hunting but I would rather bring less clothes, smaller shelter, etc before sacrificing something that will effect the outcome of the hunt.

 

[Wrench]

On a cow hunt I can't imagine much more than a good pair of 8 or 10x being plenty. Spotting a single cow is a rarity, so....spot herd, sneak on herd, pick the one you want, chase them to your truck and shoot it.

 

[Beendare]

If I'm really trying to stay light and mobile I leave the spotter in camp....and just use my 10x SLC's. In fact, I rarely use a spotter at all. Typically with 10x...if its a decent bull you will know it. A spotter really only matters if you are a points counter...or if the fact its 320" vs 300" matters to you.

If its an elk hunt I sometimes leave the tripod too...as those hunts aren't a sit and glass for hours in the areas I hunt. I can brace my binos on my knees or Trek pole.in short term glassing scenarios.

Backpack deer hunts I always bring my 10x and tripod....and most hunts I also pack the 15x binos. There are more of a picking the terrain part type thing...so the bigger glass is an advantage as you can skim over a bedded buck with one antler showing using the 10s...but not the 15's.

It really depends more on the terrain and your hunting style.

....

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

If its an elk hunt I sometimes leave the tripod too...as those hunts aren't a sit and glass for hours in the areas I hunt. I can brace my binos on my knees or Trek pole.in short term glassing scenarios.

....

Have you tried your 15's on the trekking pole?

 

[Beendare]

Have you tried your 15's on the trekking pole?

Oh yeah. I don't have an adaptor or anything. I also have a monopod with a mount...but its a tweener that I only use now with my big camera.


A stick works...but how do I say this as its hard to quantify....once you put binos on a solid mounted tripod....its an epiphany. Sure binos are great hand held....but when they are rock solid on a tripod....you see every speck...every tiny movement a hillside away. Even just a little bino movement and you miss that.

So when I know I'm going to be glassing for more than just short periods- the tripod is a absolute must.

But if I'm moving trying to cover a lot of ground, sitting and using the trek pole,,, or a stick.....or my knees... that works for fine for short periods though not as well as a tripod.

Hope that helps....

____

 

[Sled]

i threaded a 1/4-20 stud into one of my carbon hiking sticks for my binos and small spotter. it works for short hunts and glassing less than 15 minutes at a time. any more than that i'd want a real tripod.

the country i'm in will dictate how much glassing i do.

 

[HaydenB]

Good info here!

 

[Mountainlaurel3]

i threaded a 1/4-20 stud into one of my carbon hiking sticks for my binos and small spotter. it works for short hunts and glassing less than 15 minutes at a time. any more than that i'd want a real tripod.

the country i'm in will dictate how much glassing i do.

Ooo, thanks for the idea!

 

[BronkoRob]

Have the same question. Bought a spotter this year and been packing the extra weight for a few hunts so far. Very rarely used it, and I didn’t use it to find something I didn’t already see with binos.

seriously thinking about just getting a pair of higher power binos. Between that and rifle scope I don’t know if I will continue carrying the spotter.

Im wondering if I just got caught up in hype around the spotter idea.

 

[mtwarden]

I just got back from a 3 day deer backpack hunt. I was in a little over 8 miles ,so I was going to be very picky

I brought my 10x42's a very (very) light tripod and a straight 20 X Leupold spotter. Most of my glassing was done with my 10x42's, anything more than a couple of minutes on the tripod. I broke out the small spotter a couple of times on small groups of deer to see if there was anything I wanted to pursue. The 20 X gave me just enough optic to do that.